Pizza is a traditional Italian dish that has been around for centuries. It’s one of the most popular foods and can be found all over the globe. However, is it safe for our dogs to eat? Let’s run through each type of pizza and explain the reason behind that it’s not such a good idea to hand a yummy slice of pizza to your dog.
Dogs should not eat pizza because it is filled with toxic ingredients, such as garlic, onions and paprika. Pizza bread also provides minimal nutritional value for a dog and will use up their vital tummy space over good-quality food that they need to stay healthy.
Common Pizza Toppings
Below is a list of the typical pizza toppings, which will back up why you should never offer pizza to your dog.
Cheese Pizza
It might well be the plainest pizza out of them all; however, cheese-loaded pizzas are seasoned with garlic, salt and contain onion powder. All of which are ingredients that are bad for dogs, especially garlic. It is best not to offer cheese pizza to a dog.
Meat Pizza
The toppings found on meat pizzas, such as chorizo, are covered in spices like paprika, garlic, and salt. All ingredients are toxic to a dog. It would be best if you did not offer dogs meat pizza.
Veggie Pizza
Red onions are often added to the veggie pizzas. Red onions are toxic to a dog, and olives are stored in salty water, and these types of olives will be dehydrating to your dog. Avoid giving veggie pizza to a dog.
BBQ Chicken Pizza
While the chicken may be okay, the BBQ sauce on the pizza contains xylitol. Xylitol is a class of sweetener known as a sugar alcohol and is a highly toxic ingredient that is extremely bad for your dog. If your dog ingests enough xylitol, it will instantly make your dog’s blood sugar drop, causing seizures. It can also damage the liver of your dog. This pizza will also come with garlic and salt, which is bad for dogs. Never provide your dog with a slice of BBQ chicken pizza.
Hawaiian Pizza
Pineapples are safe for dogs to eat, however raw only! Near on, all pizzas you buy premade in a supermarket or from the takeaway will be canned. Canned pineapple contains syrup, and syrup is a harmful ingredient. The syrup is made from dissolving sugar which is bad for your dog, adding extra calories to your dog’s diet with no nutrients whilst leaving less room for their excellent quality food. Don’t give your dog Hawaiian pizza.
Pizza Sauce
Pizza sauce contains garlic, salt and sometimes other herbs, which are all toxic to your dog.
Can I remove the pizza topping before giving it to my dog?
Pizza dough is made from flour, yeast, eggs, olive oil, salt and water. The base of a pizza has no nutritional value for a dog, plus all those unhealthy toppings will soak into the pizza dough, making it even worse for your dog’s health.
Highly Toxic Ingredients To Dogs Found In Pizzas
Let’s run through and learn why these ingredients are so harmful and what they do to a dog’s body. Learn to spot the symptoms so you can address them as soon as possible.
Garlic
Garlic is a member of the allium family, which is highly toxic to a dog. The garlic damages the vital red cells for delivering iron and oxygen around a dog body resulting in anaemia.
Symptoms
- Breathless
- Dark stools
- Fatigue
- Red urine
- Sickness
- The gums of a dog will be pale or blueish
Salt
Dogs will become extremely sick and dehydrated if they overindulge with salt.
Symptoms
- Sickness
- Diarrohea
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
- Constant thirst, leading to disinterested in drinking water
Can dogs recover from too much salt intake?
It depends on the amount consumed and the size and age of your dog. It will take help from a veterinarian for your dog to recover. The vet will place a sick dog on a drip to hydrate and hopefully reverse the dehydration process as much as possible. Treatment is costly as it would involve overnight stays.
Onions
An onion is another member of the allium family, which is highly toxic to a dog. The onions damage the vital red cells for delivering iron and oxygen around a dog body resulting in anaemia. Like garlic, however, onions are usually used more on pizza and are among the most harmful toppings you could feed your dog.
Symptoms
- Breathless
- Dark stools
- Fatigue
- Red urine
- Sickness
- The gums of a dog will be pale or blueish
Allium Family Food Items Toxic To Dogs
- Chives
- Garlic
- Leeks
- Onions
- Scallions
- Shallots
How does the food items of the allium family affect the dog’s body?
A dog body can not disperse the toxic substance. So, it builds up and starts to oxidise a protein called haemoglobin. These haemoglobins are constantly moving all around the dog’s body. They are crucial at delivering iron and oxygen to the dog’s vital organs.
When the haemoglobin is affected by the oxidising process, known as the Heinz body, they cause lumps to form in the red blood cells. These red blood cells will be less effective or even burst and cause significant problems with the iron and oxygen delivery around the body.
Recovery
Depending on how severe the anaemia is and how long it’s been going on, there is a possibility the dog may not make it. However, the veterinarians will do all they can for a dog, even offering a life-saving blood transfusion. However, most dogs respond well to standard treatment and go on to make a full recovery.
Empty calories
Pizza has minimal nutritional value, and this should be enough not to let you or any other members in your household offer pizza to your dog. Even if it is 11 pm and you have had a few glasses of wine, remember never to provide pizza to your dog!
Keep Out Of Reach
Pizza is often enjoyed whilst watching a film or after a night out. Always leave your pizza out of reach from your dog. There have been many incidents where dogs have even leftover pizza.
We have all been guilty of accidentally or even just not knowing what damage human food can do for dogs. Please read my story here and why I changed old habits and went on to study Canine Nutrition.
No doubt your dog loves pizza, but if they knew what it could do to them, health-wise. I dont think they would be very thankful. Never give your dog any pizza. If you have a pizza night and want to avoid those puppy dog eyes, cook them a piece of lean meat to have whilst you tuck into your pizza.
Sharing is not caring in this instance with your dog!
